Harry Potter Podcasts
One of the best ways to dive into the book series is to listen to Harry Potter podcasts. I've included two of the best below. These broadcasts go back several years, so I suggest starting at the first episode and working your way through.
Each episode focuses on character development, plot points and book rumors. Many times, speculation on 'upcoming' books are given, and it's amusing to hear what the reading community was predicting vs. what really happened. You can also listen to them for ideas to use in Reading Workshops.
Directions for downloading should appear on their websites, and they are all appropriate for students 4th grade and up.
MuggleCast- MuggleNet.com's weekly podcast, appropriately titled "MuggleCast", is an informative talk show dedicated to everything Harry Potter. The idea of creating a podcast surrounding Harry Potter was spawned back in April of 2005, when MuggleNet staff member Sarah tossed the idea around in our staff forum. The idea was met with a mixed reaction from the staff, but over the three months it was in development, MuggleCast grew as an idea. Originally, MuggleCast was only going to be a weekly news round-up with discussion of the latest news stories. The format quickly changed, though, as we began coming up with new ideas. By early August we had come up with a great format for the internet's first ever Harry Potter talk show. The show's premiere in mid-August was met with great reviews from visitors of MuggleNet. Now in its second full year online, MuggleCast continues to reach thousands of listeners every week with news, theories, analysis, and much more.
Pottercast- PotterCast gives a Harry Potter fan more than an hour of Potteresque entertainment each week in the form of the latest news and intriguing discussion. It is the only Harry Potter podcast to feature interviews with the Harry Potter editors, cast and crew, and often features news that goes unreported elsewhere.
The show is hosted by Melissa Anelli, John Noe and Sue Upton, and features wrapup discussions of the week's news, interviews with fans, dissections of Harry Potter topics ranging wide and small, and interviews with the people who are a part of making the Harry Potter books and films.
It also often features special editions such as call-in shows, where we open the lines for an hour of fun with the fans; song parody episodes in which fans send in their sung renditions of known songs rewritten as Harry Potter melodies; game shows; commentaries on the film versions of the books, and much more.
PotterCast not only provides comprehensive news analysis, book and film discussion and exclusive content, but is fan interactive, designed not only to entertain but allow you to get your voices and opinions on Potter heard. Come, enjoy and participate!